Two children have tragically died after drowning in a floodwater collection site along Erediauwa Street, off Sapele Road, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
Sources indicate that the heartbreaking incident occurred on Sunday.
Eyewitnesses said four children were playing close to the designated floodwater channel when they reportedly slipped and fell into the muddy pool.
Two of the children were recovered without signs of life, while the other two were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, where they were successfully revived.
According to a witness, the site was originally built to channel excess floodwater and was never intended as a play area, particularly because of its muddy and slippery terrain.
“No one expected children to be around that spot. It is meant for flood control, and the mud made it very dangerous,” the source said.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, stated that emergency responders were promptly dispatched after authorities received a distress report.
She added that two of the children were already deceased before rescue teams arrived, while the other two were pulled out alive and immediately taken to a medical facility for treatment.